Abducted from her convent school, headstrong Scottish beauty Jennifer Merrick does not easily surrender to Royce Westmoreland, Duke of Claymore. Known as "The Wolf," his very name strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies. But proud Jennifer will have nothing to do with the fierce English warrior who holds her captive, this handsome rogue who taunts her with his blazing arrogance. Boldly she challenges his will...until the night he takes her in his powerful embrace, awakening in her an irresistible hunger. And suddenly Jennifer finds herself ensnared in a bewildering web...a seductive, dangerous trap of pride, passion, loyalty, and overwhelming love.

Review:

A Kingdom of Dreams holds a very special place in my heart. Once again, author Judith McNaught didn't fail to deliver and spellbound me with this very wonderful love story.

It's one of the best medieval historical romance stories I've read in a long time. A Kingdom of Dreams brought out a whirlwind of emotions from me. Sometimes, it made me laugh, it made me cry, squirm, and even jump out at some twists along the story.Once you start reading it, the characters become so real that by the end, you'll find yourself saying, I want more!

Royce Westmoreland is a breathtakingly wonderful hero. In most romance novels,the heroes don't realize the meaningfulness and the importance of the 'love' that the heroines willingly offer to them until the very end of the novel. But Royce was able to realized how much he loved Jenny and he hold onto it and cherished Jenny's uniqueness, her wit, subtle naivete without being worried about how love can make a man vulnerable.

Jennifer Merrick is a heroine that we could all relate to. She's humble, stands-up for what she she believes in, loyal, albeit with a quick temper. She also had her own insecurities and throughout her life, she had been struggling to appease her father and gain his approval. Even though the clan had been vocal against her being the head in the even that her father dies, Jenny was still determined to prove her clansmen wrong. Even with everyone against her, Jenny loved her family and she was faithful to her clan.

I think that one of the most remarkable aspects of this book was that I was able to see how Royce and Jenny's relationship developed. It was a long journey but with it came very important revelations and twists that strengthen the plot line and the characters of the hero and the heroine. I saw how they were able to slowly reveal their true self to one another and upon that discovery, made them trust and fall in love with each other. I believe that they know each other more than they know themselves. It became apparent throughout the story that Jenny and Royce understood one another because of the similarities in their situation. With Jenny, Royce need not be the arrogant, stubborn, and gruff Duke of Claymore and be his true self and Jenny could be herself and be vulnerable without being ridiculed by him.

If I had to choose my most memorable part in the story, it was the scene after Royce and Jenny made love the first time. It was then that Jenny and Royce bared out their soul to one another. It made me cry while reading the dialogue that transpired between the two and as you imagine that scene in your head, you can definitely say that 'This is true love!'. The imagery and the dialogue that transpired between Jenny and Royce took me by surprise and left me breathless. This book is definitely worth every penny that you'll pay for it. A Kingdom of Dreams will always be a personal keeper.

About Me

Whenever I'm introduced, people would ask if I bring joy to other people. I’m knows as Joyce to my family, and Joycee to my closest friends, a 21-year old university student, majoring in Economics, with minor degree in fields of Statistics and Geography. I am a student, news writer, and freelance photographer by day, and a penniless procrastinator, writer, and coffee addict by night. Photography is my passion and coffee is my addiction. When I'm not pursuing my life as a writer, a graphic artist, and a freelance photographer, I tend to look around the map and plan my most anticipated world tour with my mom in the near future.

The Booklover's Den

The Booklover’s Den is a playground where my insanity runs amok. Here is where I’ll be posting my thoughts, feelings, and reviews about the books I read. I’m a voracious reader and I dabble in many genres. For the time being, I’ve decided to concentrate on reading romance novels. I love historical (regency and medieval), paranormal, and contemporary romance. Please feel free to comment on my posts and share your thoughts. I would love to hear what you think of the books I’m reading.

Grain de Beaute’s Book Rating System

A : (Desert Isle Keeper) Incredibly special. One of the very best books I've ever read. A very good book, one whose virtues far outweigh any flaws. I enjoyed reading it, and would not hesitate to recommend it.

B: (Guilty Pleasure) A fairly enjoyable or interesting book, but not an A-class standout. May have some flaws, and wouldn't make my Best Books of All Time list (if I had one), but still definitely a worthwhile read.

C: (Mediocre) Undoubtedly has some good points, but overall I really didn't enjoy it. The negatives begin to outweigh the positives. Not an utterly worthless book, but I have problems with it that seriously begin to mar my enjoyment.

D: (Waste of time and Money) Not only did I actively dislike it, but I have real trouble thinking of any redeeming features at all. This is quite rare, as I can usually find something to like in almost any book. I'm also a lot less likely to review a book I dislike that much, so you'll see few or no D-range books on the review page.

DNF: (Did not Finish) Reserved for books that go beyond mere lack of any shred of literary quality to offend by their very existence. I really hate not finishing a book I've started. As much as possible, I force myself to finish the novel because I'm always hoping there will be some kind of payoff by the end, where the writer can redeem his/her work. However, I've reached a point where I'm not going to waste my time in finishing it. The book would surely end up into my DNF pile.

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Grain de Beaute's Book Awards Reading Challenge

Book Awards Reading List

The Giver by Lois LowryThe Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey NiffennegerTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodLife of Pi by Yann MartelMiddlesex by Jeffrey EugenidesWater for Elephants by Sara GruenAlias Grace by Margaret AtwoodAmerican Gods by Neil GaimanAtonement by Ewan McEwan